Easy booking in 3 quick steps. Do not hesitate. If you a new to the online car hire reservations watch our tutorial video and book your car now! In this tutorial we will describe you the whole booking process. You can watch the video here – the official car hire blog ot Top Rent-A-Car, or in our YouTube Channel

The tutorial video will be available in other languages shortly.

Fortunately, London has a number of cheap transport options to and from Heathrow, making the journey a much more pleasant—and wallet-friendly—experience.

Heathrow Express and Heathrow Connect

Without a doubt, the Heathrow Express express train is the fastest—and most comfortable—way into the city. Heathrow Express departs every 15 minutes from the airport and takes just 15 minutes to reach Paddington station in the city’s West End. (The trains also leave Paddington every 15 minutes going the other way.)

To save yourself even more time, you can buy a ticket online before you leave the U.S. and have the actual ticket sent to your mobile phone—a bar code in the text message will be scanned when you board the train. Plus, another bonus starting this month: Free Wi-Fi on board! What could be better?

Well, the price, for one. A one-way ticket on the Heathrow Express costs a whopping £16.50 online (or £18 at Heathrow); a round-trip ticket will set you back £30 online (or £32 at the station).

A slightly cheaper option is the Heathrow Connect train. It takes slightly longer to reach Paddington (25 minutes), but the price is only £7.90 for a one-way ticket and £15.80 for a return if you purchase online. Watch which train you board—both the Heathrow Express and the Heathrow Connect stop at the same platform at the airport.

The Tube to Heathrow

Heathrow, mercifully, is also served by the Piccadilly line on the Underground. (Why can’t La Guardia be this well connected?) With an Oyster card, which you can buy at the Heathrow Tube station for £3 pounds, the cost of a one-way journey into central London is just £3.80.

The only major drawback is the travel time—allow yourself at least an hour to get to or from the center of the city; sometimes, the journey can even take an hour and a half. Another annoyance: Parts of the Tube are routinely shut down on weekends for maintenance, meaning you may have some difficulty reaching your final destination if it’s not on the Piccadilly line.

Car Service (also known as Unlicensed Minicabs) to Heathrow

This is the biggest secret in London when it comes to Heathrow connections. It’s actually how I suggest most of my out-of-town guests go to the airport at the end of their stay—it’s far less trouble than trying to figure out the train schedules and worrying about being late for a flight.

There are numerous car service companies in London that will take you to any destination of your choosing for a flat rate (no tipping necessary). Most companies charge around £30 per trip from central London (anywhere in Zone 1) to Heathrow, which is actually cheaper than purchasing two one-way tickets on Heathrow Express.

It’s simple to find a company if you have a cell phone that works in London. Just text the word “home” to the Transport for London’s information number (62967) and within minutes, you’ll receive a message with the numbers of several car companies near you.

If you aren’t that technologically savvy, fret not. Try calling Bloomsbury Cars, a reliable company that I’ve used before, at 020-7631-1334. They’ll pick up passengers from any location in Zone 1 and charge £30 per trip to Heathrow. The journey usually takes less than an hour.

Known as the Golden City, this former caravan center on the route to the Khyber Pass rises from a sea of sand, its 30-foot crenellated walls and medieval sandstone fort sheltering carved spires and palaces. So little has changed here that it’s easy to imagine yourself back in the city’s early days, in the thirteenth century. Jaisalmer’s wealth originally came from the heavy levies it placed on camel caravans passing through, and merchants and townspeople built handsome havelis (mansions elaborately carved from the local golden stone). It’s the only fortress city in India still functioning, with one quarter of its population living within the original walls.

Details: Six hours by car from Jodhpur. Stay in the Narayan Niwas Palace, a former caravansary built by the maharaja in 1840. Doubles from $48 (low season) or $60 (high season); 011-91/29922-52408, fax 011-91/29922-52101, narayanniwas.com/.

Best times: October to February.

Highland games, Braemar, Scotland

Begun in the Middle Ages as county fairs for the exchange of goods and news, these summer sporting events gave clan chiefs the chance to check out the physical prowess of the area’s most promising young lads. Of the nation’s 40-some annual gatherings, the ones at Braemar are the most renowned. (Queen Elizabeth usually pops in from Balmoral Castle.) A breed of gigantic men–called the Heavies–engage in “throwing the hammer,” “putting the stone,” and the prime event, “tossing the caber”–in which they hurl a 20-foot tree trunk weighing over 130 pounds. Expect bagpipes, bright tartans, Highlands dancing, and a nip of whiskey to help things along.

Giants Causeway, Bushmills, Antrim, Northern Ireland

The grand and astonishing Giant’s Causeway–on the northern coast of the island–is made up of more than 40,000 volcanic basalt columns, each a foot or two in diameter. Most are hexagonal, but some have four or five sides, and others have as many as 10 (and reach as high as 40 feet). If modern-day visitors are struck with wonder at the sight, imagine the disbelief of the ancient Irish, who attributed the geological wonder to the fabled giant Finn McCool. The warrior was said to have created the Causeway as a bridge to his lady love on the Scottish island of Staffa. We now know it was formed by volcanic eruptions some 60 million years ago. Hopscotch along the columns, or marvel at the Causeway from the clifftop belvederes.

Cha Ca La Vong,
Hanoi, Vietnam

Cha Ca La Vong serves only one dish–cha ca, a succulent fried-fish masterpiece, the recipe for which has been in the Doan family for generations (the name translates roughly to “curried Red River fish”). After more than seven decades, cha ca became so entrenched in Hanoi that the city renamed the lane out front in its honor. A rickety flight of wooden stairs leads to the unremarkable second-floor dining room, full of equally rickety chairs. Patrons cook chunks of seasoned garoupa fish on a charcoal clay brazier, stirring in chives and dill. The rich, oily stew is then spooned into bowls of vermicelli rice noodles and enlivened by the addition of shrimp sauce, fried peanuts, and pickled vegetables. The secret ingredient, if you believe the rumors, is two drops of an essence extracted from the perfume gland of the ca cuong beetle.

Chuuk Lagoon
Lost Fleet Chuuk, Micronesia

On February 17, 1944, American Task Force 58 engaged in Operation Hailstone, dropping over 500 tons of bombs on the Japanese navy. Today, Chuuk Lagoon (also called Truk Lagoon) holds the wrecks of 60 Japanese ships, the largest concentration of sunken ships in the world. The 433-foot Fujikawa Maru is the most famous, an aircraft carrier that sits upright in 30 to 112 feet of water, a gaping torpedo hole in her side. A combination of warm water, prolific marine life, and lagoon currents has acted as an incubator, transforming the WWII hulks–their guns, trucks, silverware, and sake bottles left undisturbed–into artificial reefs.

El Questro Wilderness Park
Kimberely, Australia

El Questro is the ultimate outback experience: a million-acre working cattle ranch in the middle of Kimberley, just a dot on the map of massive, sparsely populated Western Australia. Explore the property’s many tropical gorges or remote water holes, or go on a ranger-led horse, foot, or four-wheel-drive trek to waterfalls, thermal springs, and Aboriginal rock art. There’s a fancy hotel, with suites, cantilevered over the Chamberlain River, but those whose wallets dictate Foster’s instead of champagne can choose one of El Questro’s three less-expensive lodging options–including camping sites under the stars.

Sturgis Motorcycle RallySturgis, South Dakota

For one week in early August, the town of Sturgis (population 6,400) hosts America’s largest motorcycle rally, now attracting well over a half-million people. Begun in 1938 by the local Jackpine Gypsies, the Black Hills Motor Classic grew over the years into a bacchanal drawing gangs of self-styled outlaws. In the late 1980s, the city partnered with the Jackpine Gypsies to civilize the event, and today law and order prevail. Baby strollers are not an uncommon sight–which is not to say that the saloons and tattoo parlors don’t still do a brisk business. Wanna-bes and diehards alike partake in the hill climbs and concerts. Downtime is spent admiring each other’s bikes, marveling at the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame, or eating at the Road Kill Cafe–favorites include Chicken That Didn’t Quite Cross the Road and the daily special, Guess That Mess.

Mercado de HechiceriaLa Paz, Bolivia

At La Paz’s Witchcraft Market, proud chola women sit among their goods like queens, unfailingly wearing two braids festooned behind them and bowler hats adapted from the British many years ago. What they sell: herbal-tea fusions, folk cures, coca leaves, figurines, snakeskins, slabs of llama lard to be burned in offerings to the gods, and amulets to guarantee a long and happy sex life. The market has lately begun to accommodate the growing number of gringo curiosity seekers, and booths hawking colorful alpaca sweaters and woven textiles do a brisker business than the vendors pushing dried llama fetuses.

Diving with Manta raysTobago, Lesser Antilles

Divers are flocking to the island of Tobago for the chance to swim with monster manta rays. A dozen or so giant mantas, 6 to 10 feet wide, live in the Batteaux Bay area, some year-round. Divers may have to settle for a sighting of the creatures, but most will be able to interact with them. The friendly mantas encourage divers to hold on for a ride–a practice that once earned them the nickname Tobago taxis. Today’s more-sensitive approach is to merely swim in their presence.

Back in the Middle Ages of air travel, airlines used to publish their rates in telephone-book-sized compendiums updated every few weeks, and your trusty travel agent would actually get on the phone to reserve your seat. Nowadays, fares change as often as the weather in New England. The good news? Ever-evolving technology now lets airlines sell unused seats at the last minute at a variety of venues, producing some of the cheapest prices ever. The bad news? With a glut of information out there, finding these fares can be a bewildering, confusing, and downright frustrating experience.

“There is no magic formula for always finding the cheapest fares,” says Terrance Zepke, author of the Encyclopedia of Cheap Travel. “Comparison shopping is the name of the game.” But don’t take that to mean you should spend more time hunting for your vacation airfare than you’ll actually spend on vacation. We won’t lie to you; the world of inexpensive airfares is dog-eat-dog. But follow these efficient steps, learn some simple tricks, and with a little bit of luck, you will excel in sniffing out the best online airfare deals.

SIX STEPS TO CHEAP TICKETS
#1: FIGURE OUT THE BEST TIME TO BUY
Your first step to airfare success is to determine the best time to buy your tickets. If you absolutely must get home to Mom for Thanksgiving—or to Courchevel before Lance passes through—the age-old advice still holds true: Buy your tickets at least three weeks in advance.

“I think most airline sources would agree that anything outside 21 days before takeoff is considered an advance-purchase ticket,” says Brian Ek of Priceline.com. “Airlines are different, but generally, once you hit 15 days before the flight, the price begins to go up, then it goes up again at the seven-day mark. So if you want a retail ticket, buy it at least 21 days out for the best price.” Consider buying retail and buying early for vacation destinations during popular seasons or during high-traffic holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and spring break in March.

However, if your trip to Whistler can wait a weekend or Mom doesn’t mind you arriving on Thanksgiving day rather than the day before, consider changing your strategy. Timing when you fly is just as important as when you buy. Though airfares can be fickle and inconsistent, cheaper flights are typically available on weekdays, as opposed to weekends, and during non-rush hours. If you can’t avoid major holidays, like Christmas, New Year’s, Thanksgiving, national long-weekend holidays, and spring break periods in March, a good rule of thumb is to try to travel when everyone else doesn’t want to. Think Christmas Eve or day, Thanksgiving day or a week ahead of time. Besides, flying on a holiday is typically more relaxed—the airports and planes are usually less crowded, and the “we’re all in this together” atmosphere can lend to an easy-going travel experience.

#2: UNLEASH THE SEARCH ENGINES
You know where you want to go and when. Mouse in hand, you approach the glaring, daunting screen of your computer. Task number one: Do a drive-by of the big search engines like Travelocity, Orbitz, Expedia, and Cheaptickets. Consider this as a fact-finding mission: a survey of these sites will give you a good idea on the average going rate for a retail ticket.

These search engines also offer a variety of search flexibility. Orbitz and Travelocity both allow you to search multiple dates—or even whole months—so you can compare rates and plan on traveling on the least expensive day.

Also keep in mind that ticket prices can vary drastically by airport. If you’re flying out of Boston, try Providence. San Francisco? Think Oakland. How about Charlotte? Consider Greensboro. Cheaptickets and Travelocity both have tools for searching multiple airports to come up with the best rate based on proximity, while Orbitz will automatically search all airports associated with a particular destination (for example, searches for Washington, D.C., yields results on Reagan, Dulles, and Baltimore-Washington airports).

#3: ON TO THE AGGREGATORS
A new breed of search engine has cropped up in the past few years: the aggregator site. Sites like Qixo, Kayak, and SideStep search a whole flock of search engines as well as airline sites themselves. Why go the extra step? Many of the budget airlines that have great inexpensive fares, like Southwest, don’t do business with consolidators like Travelocity, so by searching only those sites, you’re missing half the market. Our favorite is Mobissimo, which on multiple comparisons brought up the lowest fares most quickly.

#4: GO DIRECTLY TO AIRLINE WEBSITES
You’ve found the cheapest dates and the best airport, and now you think you’ve found the cheapest fare. Not so fast—you’ve got one more step. If you’ve found a great deal on an America West flight, check out America West’s website. Why? You’ll often find a better deal directly from the airline. And even if price is the same, buying directly from the airline will save you the search engine’s booking fee—usually around $5—and you’ll have a better chance at changing tickets or refunding your money if something goes wrong. Finally, some airlines guarantee the lowest rates from their own websites, backed up with special offers for those who find cheaper fares elsewhere.

That said, if you found an eye-popping deal on a search engine that utilizes multiple carriers, take it—the hassle of pricing individual flights in a multiple-leg, multiple-carrier itinerary will drive you batty, to say nothing of accidentally landing in New York’s JFK Airport when you fly out of La Guardia in 15 minutes.

#5: PERUSE THE BUDGET AIRLINES’ WEBSITES
To go the extra mile, quickly eyeball the budget airlines’ websites that fly out of the airports nearest you. Often, their rates manage to fly, so to speak, under the radar of the major search engines, so it can pay to target them directly. On a recent check, Airtran posted $76 fares between Philadelphia and Fort Lauderdale, Southwest had fares for $99 or less from more than 30 cities, and JetBlue had fares from numerous cities starting at $39. Frontier, Independence Air, Spirit, and ATA also post web deals. Many of these low-cost airlines also have weekly or monthly newsletters that announce web-only deals, which is a great way to keep abreast of new deals.

#6: TRY BIDDING ON A PRICE
If you still haven’t found an airfare that fits within your budget, try bidding. Yes, Priceline.com is still alive and kicking. In fact, the site now offers retail tickets in addition to the name-your-price game. But there are a few other players out there, like SkyAuction.com, which also posts deals and takes bids eBay-style.

Determining a bid that’s low but not impossible is a fine art elucidated only by date and destination. Aim too low and you’re wasting your time, aim too high and…well, you know. To start, take the lowest price from the industry-standard search engines (step #2) and the aggregators (#3), knock off 15 to 20 percent, and, using the same search criteria, go from there. Keep in mind, each bidding site likely has its own quirks and tricks. To put more than luck on your side, check out Biddingfortravel.com for additional tips on playing the auction game.

Hotwire.com offers a slight twist on the typical bidding game. Rather than asking you to bid, you enter in your trip info and they generate a deeply discounted clearance price, which is often the best deal going. The catch? All you get is the price of the flight—you don’t see the flight schedule or what airline (or airlines) you’re flying until after purchasing the ticket. For people with flexible schedules, this is a manageable hassle, but if you need to put in a half-day before flying off to the Caribbean, Hotwire.com can be gamble.

LET THE EXPERTS DO THE WORK FOR YOU
Along with the other billion (or so it seems) travel-deal websites out there, there is a unique species that monitors the search engines and airline sites and highlights the best deals. SmarterTravel.com continually updates postings on the most outrageous plane ticket, hotel, car, and cruise sales, and has a team of editors that post travel-tip articles for these ever-changing times. Bestfares.com has a search engine and keeps excellent tabs on fare wars between airlines, such as when a particular city might be the center of downward-spiraling fares for a limited period of time.

Some sites, like adventure-centric GORPtravel.com, also specialize in a particular niche of travel, offering package trips that take care of all the details. Costs vary widely, and in some cases airfare isn’t included in the quoted price, but the expertise afforded by working with industry leaders could offer the assurance you need to make your vacation stress free.

THE LOWDOWN ON COURIER FLIGHTS
So many budget travelers have discovered the air courier trick that flights to Sydney for a quarter and a smile are more fiction than fact. However, there is still a nice load of mind-bogglingly cheap ones—provided you’re willing to make a few trade-offs. Here’s the deal: By law, all baggage on commercial flights must be accompanied by a passenger. For many companies, sending goods on commercial flights with a passenger is far faster than shipping, so they look for passengers willing to fly on short notice, with great flexibility, and with no personal baggage other than carry-ons. The upshot as a courier is that all you really have to do is pack frugally, sit on a plane, carry the customs papers, and hook up with the appropriate contacts at the airport, and you’ll get great fares: Think Amsterdam for $125 or Bangkok for $275. Membership to the Air Courier Association or the International Association of Air Travel Couriers costs about $50 and gets you access to detailed information on the courier life and daily flight options. But keep in mind: flexibility is key—if you’re aching for a two-week break from a grueling nine-to-five gig that can’t be left at a moment’s notice, courier flights probably won’t work. But if you’ve got some flex in your schedule, it’s a great way to save cash and see the world.

LAST-MINUTE SEATS FOR SALE
Airtech targets a similarly flexible demographic as courier agencies, but puts passengers on empty or standby seats at the last minute. If you’re flexible with your dates and destinations, you can get pretty sweet deals, like a flight to Europe for about $200. First, buy a FlightPass for travel between certain regions, say the U.S. and Europe, with a departure window of two to four days. When a flight comes up to your preferred destination, you’ll get a call. If it fits you desires and interests, you head to the airport and redeem your pass for the tickets. Think of it as the budget traveler’s way of flying on standby. One intrepid traveler used Airtech to get home to Greece for the 2004 Olympics. She got the call—a flight to Amsterdam from Washington, D.C., for around $200—and headed out that afternoon. After a leisurely day in the Netherlands, she hopped a train south to Athens and reached her destination for half of what it would’ve cost had she flown direct. Plus she got to go to Amsterdam. But if you need to be in a certain city at a certain time, Airtech ain’t for you.

SMALL-SCALE AND CHARTER AIRLINES
Small-scale airlines and some charter services often offer specially scheduled or seasonal flights to high-traffic destinations for low rates. USA 3000 Airlines flies from Midwest and Northeast cities to vacation destinations in Florida, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico for fares 20 to 60 percent cheaper than major carriers’ fares, depending on the city. Sun Country Airlines is another small carrier based in Minnesota with flights to more than 40 domestic, Caribbean, and Mexican destinations. Especially at the last minute, rates can be significantly cheaper than those of Northwest, Sun Country’s biggest competitor. When purchasing tickets, be aware of restrictions on refunds and rescheduling after missed connections with other carriers. To find small carriers, look up a full list of airlines that service your local airport.

ROUND-THE-WORLD TICKETS
Long to follow in Magellan’s footsteps? Do not buy a slew of disparate tickets around the world. You can save thousands of dollars for your on-the-ground travels by purchasing a round-the-world ticket. Several companies, like Airtreks and Air Brokers International can help arrange complicated global itineraries, sometimes for discounted prices. Also try the airlines directly for their latest fares. The One World Alliance, a group of eight airlines, including American, British Airways, and Qantas, offers around-the-world tickets with up to 20 segments (geo-specific regions of travel). SkyTeam, an alliance of nine airlines, including Continental, Delta, Air France, and KLM, offers round-the-world fares with over 650 stops to choose from.

AIR PASSES
Okay, so you’re not planning on circumnavigating the earth anytime soon, but how about a little continental perambulation? There are plenty of smaller-scale deals with specific airlines and alliances that can save you tons on intra-continental travel. For example, the Star Alliance, a group of 16 airlines, including United, Lufthansa, Thai Airways, and Air Canada, offers discounted air passes for Europe, North America, Asia, and the South Pacific, among others. Passengers buy between three and ten coupons starting at $65 each, which are then redeemable for single-segment flights between any of the alliance’s destinations in the given region. Similar deals are also available within certain countries, with deals on international airfare and a set number of intra-country flights. For example, Qantas, in association with Tourism Australia, currently offers international airfare and three domestic flights for prices starting at $999, far cheaper than any other DIY pricing available. The best way to track down packages like this is to check the websites of the national airlines or the country’s tourism website, easily accessible via Google.

Expedia Partner Services Group (PSG), the central point of contact for travel suppliers to access the global Expedia marketplace of leading travel brands, will hold a Supplier Summit in Limassol, Cyprus on September 8th at 20:00hs. Supplier Summits are a way to show Expedia’s loyalty to its travel industry partners. The most important hotelier players and Expedia representatives will meet in this Summit to analyze the sector results and to talk about how the industry performance could be in 2010, based on the current forecasts and data available.

“Supplier Summits are a great get-together opportunity” said Diego Lofeudo, Regional Director of the Market Management for Expedia in Eastern Mediterranean and Africa. “Expedia continuously invests in partner – facing tools and activities. These Summits are a great example of our commitment to the hotel industry”.

Around 120 suppliers of the tourist industry among them hotels, airline airlines, car-rentals, Tourism Boards are invited by Expedia to participate in the Supplier Summit organized at the Amathus Beach Hotel Limassol. This is the first of the 19 events that will be taking place in the forthcoming months in the following countries: South Africa, Egypt, Israel, Malta, Cyprus, Morocco, Tunisia, Kenya and Tanzania.

In these meetings very relevant industry topics will be discussed and the main purpose of them is to examine the industry performance vs. last year, talk about what Expedia expects in terms of results for the year ahead, make a summary of the main highlights of the year in course such as new developments, products launches, results analysis, and give an award to the seven best hotels of each market.

Among those highlights, Expedia will explain the www.expediapartnercentral.com launching, which is the one stop service point to facilitate the hoteliers its work management with Expedia, as well as the Media Solutions, a marketing program for the hotels that allows them to do advertising in Expedia in order to increase its sales, or the launching of new sale points of Expedia and hotels.com during 2009.

Expedia, in the eagerness to find new ways that could help to improve the results of the industry, after the drop of tourists as a result of the international crisis, has decided to set up these meetings known as Supplier Summits, showing once again its commitment with its partners.

TOP 25 EXCLUSIVE DEALS & PERKS

Save 40 percent off Telluride Mountain Lodge, from $71/night
Surrounded by the spectacular San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado, the Mountain Lodge Telluride has spacious accommodations with working gas fireplaces, gourmet kitchens, and private balconies — all with stunning mountain views. Guests of this posh slope-side resort enjoy a prime location midway up Telluride Mountain with ski-in/ski-out facilities.

Deal details: Book three nights or longer by October 31 to enjoy 40 percent off on stays through April 4, 2010. Rates start from $71/night in November and go up to $85/night in February/March with the discount.

Book it: Visit www.mountainlodgetelluride.com and enter special promotional code SHERMANS.

Up to 40 percent off Vail Condos with late checkout, from $150/night
The resort town of Vail is a popular ski destination come winter — and hotel rates tend to be sky-high during the peak months. Luckily, Destination Resorts Vail has a limited-time early-bird special that will save you a bundle at one of their eight condo properties. Each condo unit has a full kitchen, private balcony, and gas fireplace.

Deal details: Simply book by October 31 to receive 20 percent off a 3-night stay, 25 percent off a 4-night stay, or 30 percent off  stays of five nights or longer. Rack rates for 2-bedroom condos in early December start at around $215/night, but you’ll pay as little as $150/night by booking early. This offer is valid for travel   between November 25 and April 18, 2010. Plus, Top 25 subscribers receive a late, noon, check-out  — just in case you want to fit in  a few extra runs   on the morning of your departure.

Book it: Visit www.destinationresortsvail.com or call 970-476-1350 and mention Sherman’s.

Hudson Valley packages with free spa access, from $195/night
Celebrate the arrival of autumn in New York’s Hudson Valley, an area praised for brilliant fall foliage, up-and-coming wineries, and dramatic white stone cliffs. Located on the scenic Shawangunk ridge just 90 miles from New York City, the historic Mohonk Mountain House has over 85 miles of trails tailor-made for hiking or snow-shoeing, along with breathtaking lake views, and a brand-new 30,000-square-foot spa. Choose from two special seasonal packages for an outstanding fall escape with all meals included.

Deal details: The Apple Festival package celebrates the apple harvest with midweek rates as low as $195 per person. Book your stay from September 7-30 for tasty perks like apple pancakes at breakfast and apple cocktails in the evening. Or, visit during the Pumpkin Festival from October 1-November 24 for midweek rates as low as $252 per person. Plus, Top 25 readers receive free access to the spa’s heated mineral pools, sauna, and solarium.

Book it: Visit www.mohonkexclusives.com or call 1-866-666-3146 and mention ShermansTravel to receive free spa access.

Up to 30 percent off at Aspen’s Gant Resort with late checkout, from $195/night
Located at the foot of Aspen Mountain’s powder-packed slopes in Colorado’s picturesque high country, The Gant Resort provides an ideal base for an ultimate winter ski getaway. This posh mountain lodge boasts 140 upscale condominiums with luxurious amenities like wood-burning fireplaces, fully equipped kitchens, and daily housekeeping.

Deal details: Rack rates in December start at around $195/night for a standard 1-bedroom suite, but you’ll save up to 30 percent with the early-bird special. The Summer Snow Saver promotion entitles guests to a 30 percent discount on stays of 4 nights or longer, or 15 percent off a single night’s stay, for travel between November 26 and April 11, 2010. Plus, Top 25 subscribers enjoy perks like guaranteed late check-out and a complimentary bottle of wine upon check-in. Book by November 15.

Book it: visit www.gantaspen.com and enter special promotional code SHERGT.

MORE EARLY-BOOKING MOUNTAIN DEALS

Third night free at Seventh Mountain Resort, Oregon, from $139/night
Experience the stunning scenery of Oregon’s Cascade Mountains with a fall or winter stay at the Seventh Mountain Resort. Bordered by the Deschutes National Forest and Mt. Bachelor, this upscale lodge offers a wide range of seasonal outdoor activities from whitewater rafting trips to high-altitude treks, ice-skating lessons, and guided tours by snowmobile. With the resort’s Two and Free special, you’ll get your third night free and a $50 voucher to use towards activities or dining. Rates for standard 1-bedroom suites start at just $139/night this September 8 through March 31, 2010. To book, visit www.seventhmountain.com or call 1-800-452-6810.

Two-night hiking package in the Catskill Mountains, from $543
Whether you’re an avid hiker or just enjoy taking leisurely strolls, the varied trails of New York’s Catskill Mountains will let you experience nature at its best. The I Like to Hike package available year-round at the Roxbury Motel provides guests with maps and a personalized itinerary for a trek through the forest, including packed gourmet trail lunches for two and a flask of Bordeaux wine. If the hike causes your muscles to ache, don’t worry: This deal also includes complimentary 2-day passes to the hotel’s Shimmer Spa with a relaxing 2-hour couple’s massage. Package rates start at $543 for a 2-night weekend stay in one of the motel’s uniquely furnished studios, and prices are even lower on weekdays. To book, visit www.theroxburymotel.com or call 1-607-326-7200.

The dollars
Based on double occupancy. Taxes and fees are additional.

The catch
Skis and hiking boots aren’t included.

Na Zdravi! (Cheers!)

Especially for them, Austrian Airlines Vacation Center offers a unique vacation package to Prague (Czech Republic). Its “Here For The Beer” vacation package, includes roundtrip air transportation on Austrian Airlines between New York (JFK) or Washington (IAD) and Prague, Czech Republic, three (3) nights hotel accommodation in Prague in a three-star hotel in the city center plus daily buffet breakfast. In addition, travelers will get a Prague beer tour with dinner, a Pilsen and “Pilsner Urquell” brewery tour (full day tour including entrance fee to Pilsner Urquell Brewery, Beer Brewing Museum and lunch in the Spilka Beer Restaurant) and more. The package is valid for travel between November 1 – December 10, 2009, and again between January 4 – March 25, 2010.
In addition to this three-night “Here For The Beer” package, a variety of other vacation packages (called City Steals and Combo City Steals) are offered for travel to Europe by Austrian Airlines Vacation Center this winter. Single supplements, upgrades, additional combinations and extensions are available upon request.

All packages must be paid in full within 7 days after reservations are confirmed, and no later than 14 days prior to departure. Once confirmed, the packages are non-refundable, non-transferable, and cannot be changed. All packages will be booked on Austrian Airlines in economy class and are subject to schedule and space availability. The minimum stay is 3 nights or one Saturday overnight, and the maximum stay in Europe is 30 days. Package prices include fuel surcharges but do not include US Customs / INS / Aphis fees / International Transportation Tax / Passenger Facility Charges / Civil Aviation Security Fee / domestic and foreign Security and Airport Charges of approximately USD $145 per passenger, depending on the itinerary. Additional taxes and fees may be collected by foreign governments. All taxes / fees / surcharges are subject to change and exchange rate fluctuations and may vary on the day of booking.

For 2009, the FTF Teen Travel Writing Scholarship will offer a thousand dollar scholarship to the first place winner, and $500 and $200 awards to the second and third place essay, as well as a gift certificate for a two-night family vacation at any Homewood Suites Hotel. The 25 authors awarded Honorable Mention will receive two passes to any Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! attraction and a “Rand McNally Road Atlas” to help make their future family vacations more fun. All winning stories will be posted on the FTF’s travelBIGO.com where young authors’ work can be submitted year round.

The professional editorial staff at Teen Ink reviews more than 70,000 submissions each year to select the best of the best for each section of Teen Ink’s print magazine and website. Subjects include Poetry; Fiction; Sports; Opinion; Community Service; Reviews (books, movies, music, colleges); College Essays; Interviews and more.